New members sought for Carroll schools’ Family Life and Sex Education Committee – Baltimore Sun

The Carroll County Public School System is accepting applications for new members of the Family Life Advisory Committee.

The 31-member group, appointed by the Board of Education, will advise on family life education in public schools by reviewing all health curricula and making recommendations to the Board of Education. Applications will be accepted until July 26.

The committee is comprised of 25 parents of public school students, along with educators, health professionals and a school board member, a role currently held by board member Donna Sivigny.

The selectees will serve only for the 2024-2025 school year, although members typically serve two-year terms on the committee. According to the application, the selectees will “fill several open seats for the second year of the two-year term.”

Members of the Family Life Advisory Committee are reviewing Maryland state health standards and proposing materials to teach the state’s indicators in Carroll County public schools, said Amanda Jozkowski, a current committee member. Jozkowski is also a candidate for school board this year.

The committee votes on whether to recommend to the school board that the proposed materials be accepted or rejected.

Recently, the committee recommended that the school board stop using “The Family Book” by Todd Parr and “The Great Big Book of Families” by Mary Hoffman in the district’s elementary school health curriculum. The books depict a variety of family structures, including same-sex, adopted, single-parent, and step-parent families, but do not include any discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity.

At its meeting on July 10, the school board followed the committee’s recommendation and rejected the two books by a vote of 3 to 2.

Committee members are appointed as parents of elementary, middle or high school students or as health professionals or educators, and any school board member can appoint committee members. Jozkowski said she was appointed by school board member Patricia Dorsey.

In recent years, community members have debated whether the committee’s selection process was “truly representative” of the Carroll community, Jozkowski said.

“If someone’s value system or skills aren’t aligned with a board member’s, they often don’t get selected,” Jozkowski said. “I trust that board members are trying to do their best and select the people they think are best suited. I’m not sure that’s always the case.”

Sivigny did not respond to an email requesting further information on the committee’s selection process.

The Maryland Department of Education in October 2019 adopted a 51-page comprehensive health education framework that describes concepts children learn at each grade level. It provides guidelines for health education, including lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity, that are delivered in an age-appropriate manner from preschool through 12th grade. Parents can opt their children out of classes if they are in fourth grade or higher, according to the framework.

In Carroll, parents of elementary, middle and high school students can choose whether their children want to continue to follow the state curriculum, choose a modified district version developed by the Family Life Advisory Committee, or opt their children out of all family life curricula entirely.

“They don’t recommend curricula or materials, they recommend what they think is a good framework that is as consistent as possible with the state framework, but more in line with what our community thinks is appropriate so that the curriculum writers can start writing (the curriculum) and present it to us for approval,” Sivigny told the school board in May 2022 as the committee was developing the health education option.

In order for the committee to fulfill its purpose, it is important that people with different perspectives and opinions are on the committee, said Jozkowski.

Jozkowski said it is important for parents and community members to discuss their ideas about family life education.

“Since this is a community advisory council, it should really represent the community,” said Jozkowski.

New committee members will be confirmed at the Education Committee meeting on August 14.

Originally published: July 16, 2024 at 5:35 p.m.